Social Considerations
End of the World By Iain Jensen So, you’ve been working on a task that your group assigned to you, say for example, stress analysis on a complex machine part. You’ve been working hard on it for hours on end; precious time that could have been devoted to sleep was instead sacrificed so that you could get the calculations just right. Then, suddenly, you receive a call from one of your teammates informing you that the part you’ve been working on has to be changed due to a fatal flaw in it, something that could ruin the whole project. Everything you’ve done has been for naught. There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing hours upon hours of hard work go down the drain, and before you know it, you are arguing with your teammate over the phone about how the part was just fine the way it was; even before they’ve had a chance to explain. You just want to be done with the assignment and on to something else. The conversation at this point can either end bitterly with an abruptly ended phone call, or you can try something even more difficult-- listen. Simply stop and take a deep breath. If you need to, put you teammate on hold, get up, and walk around the room so that you can collect yourself and calm down. Then go back and listen. Listen to what your teammate has to say. More than likely your group didn’t casually change the design around just for kicks, or to irk you. They thought it through, looked at it from all the necessary angles, and concluded that things really could not work right and had to be changed. So now you might say to yourself, “Does that mean I have to start all over again? Do I even have time to do it?” Do not fret! You have options available to you. You can start all over again if you so desire, or you can ask for help. Maybe one of your teammates has taken on the role of general support, or has some free time in which they could help you. Enlist their aid so that the job can be finished in a more reasonable time period. If you are really sick of doing analysis, then perhaps you could persuade one of your teammates to switch assignments with you. All in all, don’t panic if things don’t go right. You can always find a way through. Video Gaming in the Collegiate World By Brett Buchholtz Although video games have been under fire for their possible role in desensitization of those who play them and are typically seen as a hobby of the lazy within the collegiate and professional worlds I believe they can, and are, a positive thing for many college students. Many college students build up high levels of stress during the course of their college careers; whether it is to get good grades, graduate, or get into a good grad school place a burden on themselves that not even they know exists. The healthiest way to handle this buildup of stress is to find an outlet. A few common outlets for students are to go to the gym and partying. Although these have been the typical outlets for college students through the years the use of video games as a method of stress outlet has been growing in popularity and is a common part of everyday life for many college students. Although not the most clinical of methods video gaming may provide a valuable service to many students under stress, or those just looking to kill some time. Keep in mind those students who have issues with time management, as with any hobby, may have problems incorporating an often addictive hobby into the already cramped schedule of college life. Also realize that there’s a healthy benefit to getting to the gym and going to party’s that often cannot be attained through the use of video games, and get outside when you can. Energy Shortage By chung-chi chen For the past few years, people try hard to find fuel or energy substitute, in order to stop rely so heavily on gasoline. There are several reasons why the price of gasoline increased so fast in the past few years. One of the main reasons for the price increasing is the global demand for oil, the development in Asia, especially in China, and India, start to consume energy rapidly in economic and technology. Also, the war and rebel activity in mid east caused the reduced production of crude oil, which influences the price of gasoline directly. One domestic reason is the heavily destroyed on oil refineries along the Gulf Coast by Hurricanes in 2005, around 75 percent of oil product still not processing today. Although the price of gasoline dropped dramatically these few months, there is no guarantee that the price will not bump up like hell again, therefore, alternative fuel and vehicles are still mandatory. Once people have more choices than just gasoline, the demand and price will be more steady and reasonable. Frustration Frustration is probably one of the best things that a young engineer can be taught to deal with at Washington State University. As engineers we deal with this, or try to, on a daily basis. It is probably the best “weed out” course that the engineering department can give us. We deal with it in projects, tests, and even homework assignments. It is almost essential to our engineering lifestyle and our learning process. One of the problems though is that people do not realize that engineering is inherently suppose to be frustrating to a point. It makes you think and even obsess about the problems that you are working on, but not to the point of exhaustion. Recently I have seen that frustration levels of colleagues reaching all new highs as their senior year is wrapping up. It is necessary to be able to learn to not let your frustrating times overflow into your outside life. So next time you start letting frustration get the best of you, take a break and go have some fun. It will really help in getting you back on focus when you get back to work. For our ME416 project we are redesigning a battery loading system. This will decrease the overall lead time needed to create a scissor lifts. Some of the calculations are tedious, including interrelated geometric calculations. It got really frustrating to try and figure out how all of these factors worked together and as a group we were not getting the job done. So we finally called it a day. I went home watch some television, played some computer games and then went back to work on the project. The problem became really easy to understand because I got rid of some complicated parts that weren’t actually involved and from there it was easy to solve. Some of the biggest problems with engineers is they try to tackle the entire assignment at one time and find out that it is too overwhelming. So sometimes by just have fun and being able to refocus your efforts you can see that things aren’t as frustrating as they seem. Refocusing usually is stepping back from the problem and finding a small section to work on to make everything manageable. Shafted We find ourselves meeting at a company that wants us to design an apparatus that will speed up a process they are required to do annually. We initially thought from the original needs they wanted, that this design project can be done with ease and accuracy. Weeks later into our preliminary designs and concepts, we have our first conference call with our customers. We ask them questions we've amassed over the past few weeks and we soon find out that things are changing. We are given not only more information about extra parts we need to design, but the initial needs they gave us have changed. Is this really fair? Can they really do this to us? My thinking says no, but at the time we didn't have any leverage so we just did what they asked. Looking back on it, our initial spec was a "contract" that should have been agreed upon by both parties and should not have been changed half way through the project design phase. If we were to be put in this postiton again, we would not let design changes be allowed to happen after the inital meeting. A well prepared customer will provide enough information in the beginning that will lead you in the right direction. When to Ask for Help This is a story for those with too much pride. Pride is not a bad thing in moderation but too much will cause problems. When designing data acquisition systems (DAQ) instrument selection is vital. This study focuses on pressure transducers but of course there are other instruments that could pose similar problems. I was part of “Cougar Flight Systems” which was assembled to build a data acquisition system for Ellison-Mahon Aircraft’s Gweduc flying boat. Naturally they wanted to monitor things like airspeed, altitude, engine performance, and various other flight parameters. Many of these parameters use pressure transducers. The major constraint of the project was cost, the ultimate engineering problem. So we set about finding instruments to measure all the parameters they wanted monitored but quickly ran into our nemesis: %FS. Now, I’m not exactly sure where we first found out that %FS really means Percent Full Scale but it wasn’t the last time we heard it defined. Most of the uncertainty in outputs of instruments is described in %FS but what, exactly, does it mean? This is where pride comes in; instead of going and asking a professor, or even a sales person, straight away to clear up what is a very simple definition we operated under assumptions to avoid asking a “stupid question”. So for roughly two or three weeks we evaluated instruments assuming that %FS just meant the error was plus or minus that value from the measured value (this turned out to be correct). Finally, getting fed up with not knowing exactly what %FS was we asked Robert Lentz, the ME 305 lab guru and excellent source of instrument knowledge. What he told us is that %FS is actually the percent full scale error of the output; voltage. In our heads it clicked, “Of course! What we’re really measuring is the output voltage of the instrument not the pressure.” So now we operated under a different assumption which merely complicated things. After some analysis of instruments we found that the pressure transducers still had roughly the same uncertainty. This was because the uncertainty of the voltage is linearly related to the uncertainty of the pressure via the calibration curve! So, whether it be voltage or actual pressure, it’s essentially the same thing! To settle the question once and for all we called Omega instruments and asked their pressure transducer department and they told us what we had already concluded: Pressure or voltage the uncertainty is roughly the same. So, to save yourself the agony of mistaken assumptions, or in our case the same assumption wearing different masks, just ask the question early so you can move on guilt free. working together in a group by Quang Nhat Le Two undergraduates were friends in their senior year and partners in ME 305 Thermal Fluids Laboratory. For the course they had to complete two project assignments, two exams and ten Laboratory reports. The grade was based 40% on exam and projects and 60% on the lab report. The first student, K, studied hard and was kind-hearted. He always wanted to help his friend, M, do the lab report and study class lecture notes for the exam. That was a reason why M was successful on the first one in this class. For the first exam and first lab report they had had been okay. However, there was a problem after the first project was assigned. M did not attempt to do anything to contribute help to this project. Instead, he let K do everything for the project. K sometimes asked M for help because he needed the spiritual support and would save time if he had more contributors to cooperate with. But, M always responded in the same way, so that K felt like he was being criticized, “I don’t know, I don’t know anything about this so I can’t help you.” And K finally got the project done by himself and turned in the project under both of their names. This problem happened again for the second project but K did not talk about this with the professor or the TA. Both projects received a low grade. At the end of semester both of them were busier in other classes due to mid terms, homework and upcoming final exams. The thing was that M was dependent on K in this class, and therefore he was behind on his lab reports. He finally asked for a copy of these lab reports from his partner. K was enthusiastic to give him what he need instead of refusing him what he asked for. The result of M relying on K for everything was that both of them got the zero for those lab reports that they shared with each other. As a rule in ME 305, if they got zero in a maximum of two lab reports they would fail the course. Finally, both of them failed this course and they had to repeat this course once again. Students who are going to take ME 305, have to be careful if their partner depends on them too much and ask to share lab reports, as in the case above. They should independently do lab reports and should tell the professor if their partner did not contribute their work in the project. They should help their partner to do the lab report by giving their partner an idea rather than their own copy of lab report. Otherwise, the final result will be like the experience case above. Phone Ettiquette Ashley Giesa Speaking with someone on the telephone and trying to understand their ideas, concerns, and needs can be taxing and confusing. It is not always easy to get a clear picture of what your customer wants and although there is always e-mail communication, it is important to learn to communicate over the phone. The most important thing when speaking with a customer is to listen. Make sure that you ask them if they have questions, listen to their concerns and repeat back to them what you understand them to have said. This way their is no miscommunication that will possibly need to be backtracked and fixed later on. This will save you time, energy and possibly a headache. It is also very important to stay positive when speaking with a customer even if you do not always like their ideas. Your attitude shows through the phone and a customer will be able to tell if you are being genuine or not. It is important to use positive language at all times. If you begin to get frustrated or if your customer is not working with you as you would like them to be, take a deep breath. Try to compromise and make the customer feel like you are really trying to work with them. If the customer sees these efforts, they will most likely come around and realize that the project will go smoother and have a better outcome if everyone works together. Also, in the same mentality as the customer service industry it is necessary to treat the customer as if they are always right. Even if you think that what they are proposing is ridiculous or stupid, you should tell your customer that you will look into it. Then do a little research on the subject so that you will have evidence to back up your concerns on why that is a bad idea. It is one thing to just tell someone that something is impossible or outrageous and it is quite another to give them reasons why it is so. Overall, it is important to make the customer feel comfortable and make sure to have a positive relationship with them. The only way that a project will be successful is if all sides do their best to maintain this relationship and work together. Team Work By:SH One day when working on a group project for an ME class we had a critical design decision to make. Do you choose one design over another or do we combine them to create a better concept? In this situation one of the members of the group had his mind set on his design. This member did not want to use the other choice and thought that his design was the only one that would work. The other members of the group tried to talk him into making a compromise that would allow for use of certain parts of his design and use parts of the other design. After a lot of discussion the team member decided to allow for the change in design and realized that the new concept was better than the one that he came up with. When working with others in a group, ideas often need to be formed with thoughts from more than one person. This type of collaboration can sometimes lead to problems and frustration. By learning what to use and what not to use can help in relieving some of the stress involved with the group work. As members of a group brainstorm ideas to be used they will often times think that their way is the best way. This is not always the case and they might just not get that there could be better possibilities. To work as a group the members all need to work with one another to accomplish the same tasks. This work should be done with open minds and the ability to compromise. Compromising between team members is essential in getting the project finished together. By allowing people to express their concerns and ideas and not wanting to only use your idea will make this process a lot easier. Group Work by Jeff Olds Throughout your career as a student you will be faced with many situations that may be unfamiliar. Many majors teach early in the curriculum that group work and communication is the most important skill to have in today’s world. Other majors, such as engineering will wait until your junior year to mention this fact. When this dramatic change occurs in your schedule, you will notice that working in groups can be very fun. Group projects are very popular in today’s world because everyone knows that five mediocre minds are as good as one brilliant mind. As you will notice, working in a group will present many obstacles that can escalate into large problems if they are ignored. Everyone in your group has their own feelings and opinions and if that is not respected there will undoubtedly be some problems. Many of your group members will have ego problems, some will be lazy, some will be uptight and others too demanding. It is ok to have all of these attitudes, so long as it doesn’t affect the entire group in a negative way. If Roger has been lazy his whole life and really enjoys it that is fine. He simply should realize that being lazy while working on the group project is a NO NO. He should work really hard in the group then be extra lazy at home. If Roger does not comply with his responsibilities as a group member he will most likely be punished. In the real world if you do not pull your own weight you will be fired. Roger is not the only type of person that you will encounter in your group. Frankie Dyson will probably be causing problems as well. Frankie is the type of person that believes the whole world revolves around them. In order for the group to function well, Frankie will have to tone it down. There are many other types of people that you will encounter it is just a fact of life. The best quality you can have for group work is to be understanding. If you can learn how to set aside your sharp opinions about people and to focus on the task at hand your group will be very productive. When you are reading this case study you should be thinking about where you fit into these descriptions. If you are a Frankie, or a Roger or whomever, your attitude may have to change if you want to get any work done. The simple truth is that, not being exposed to a lot of group work hasn’t affected your career thus far. When you get out into the real world you will be experiencing the exact opposite. This should be enough motivation to change any of your hardcore bias opinions. The most important fact that I have learned about group projects is that the only way your group will survive is if you respect each other. It might be a good idea to spend some time together outside of school to get to know each other. If you can get to know your group members by heading down to the bar for a while it will make your project so much easier in the future. You will find out what neat experiences your group members have gone through. You will earn their respect and they will earn yours, and the project will live happily ever after. To prove my point, I worked on a group project before and we were having trouble communicating with each other. I decided that it would be a good idea if we spent some quality time together. We went down to the local watering hole and chatted for a few hours. We didn’t mention our group project one time, just talked about our future goals, job opportunities and what neat stories each of us had at the time. From that day on, I felt that I was closer to my group members and I respected them more. Throughout the duration of the project we were very respectful of each other and overall it was a great experience. Whenever you begin the process of working in groups keep in mind the key aspects of this case study. Being respectful of others, pulling your own weight and listening are the key to success. If you can remember these points and teach them to your group you will always succeed and get the job done. NOTE: All names used in this case study are fictitious. Recreation Something to do during the cold winter months by Steve Marchi A college student’s guide for the ultimate snowboarding trip If you are a student attending W.S.U. then you know that Pullman can get a little monotonous during the winter months. The end of the football season and the gray clouds can cause anyone to slump into a slight depression. This doesn’t have to happen, winter can offer some high end entertainment with not too much work and for not too much money. What can offer you this entertainment I promise you? Snowboarding During my senior year at W.S.U., 4 of my housemates and I decided to put an end to the monotony and bought seasons passes to Schweitzer Mt. ski resort. Schweitzer is located about 3 to 3.5 hours north of Pullman, in the little town of Sandpoint, Idaho. We were able to take several trips up to the mountain during the season and by the end of the season we were nearly pros. So what did we learn making all those trips up to the mountain and back…. • Be prepared – this is a lot easier said then done, but make sure you have the little stuff done before you leave, clothes packed, cars fueled, snack food bought for the drive. It will save you a lot of time and stress to be ready. • Relax – if things don’t go according to your plan, don’t panic, it’ll be okay. The truth is that the unexpected happens, don’t get all stressed out about it that will only make it worse. Asses the situation and deal with it. People are always willing to help other people out in when there in a bind, so don’t be afraid to ask for help and make sure you show your gratitude. Just stay calm and remember it will make a good story to tell your buddies at the bar later that night. • Check the weather – winter has some nasty days, when the wind picks up the mountain stays closed. Make sure you know the weather conditions on the mountain before you start the drive. There is nothing worse then getting up to the mountain and not being able to ride because there is a winter storm rolling through with 80 mph winds. • Go with a good crew – the company you go with can make or break your trip. If you ride up to the mountain with people who complain the whole time your trip is going to be lousy. Go with people who are just as excited about having a fun time as you are no matter what happens along the way. • Take pictures – its pretty simple, just have someone be the camera man or woman for the day. Pictures are awesome, they capture all the fun you have and bring back good memories. When you’re older you’ll love looking back at your crazy college years and thinking about all the stuff you did. If you don’t have any photos you’re likely to forget some of those crazy events. It also helps for those nights that you drink a little too much and can’t remember what happened. Team Work By: Matt Osborn ISSUES WITH COMMUNICATION Throughout the course of our senior project many discoveries were made. I believe that the most important discovery was the importance of communication. This issue arose through assumptions that were made. When we went to our sponsors company, we first received the grand tour and then were assigned certain specifics. Although we had received some of tasks that needed to be completed we hadn’t received all of them. So, on the ride home we began to assume other duties and specifics that we thought our sponsor desired. This was a big mistake. NEVER ASSUME! So, for the next few weeks we were all very confused as to what exactly we needed to do. Through a series of emails that were exchanged critiques that were made, communication was lost. So we had all had enough, so we set up a phone conference with our sponsor. This was the best decision that we could have made. After the conference everything was clear. We were able to work out all the specifics and for the first time establish a solid list of demands. Finally salvation!!!! So the moral of the story is communicate with your sponsor. Dealing With Your Project Sponsors By: Alex Ockfen Throughout the semester I have learned several lessons in dealing with the project sponsors. In particular, my group is redesigning and testing an oil lubrication rig for Hamilton Sundstrand. In the past several weeks we have ran into many surprises that we did not expect at the beginning of the semester. It all starts out with the kick-off meeting when we were given the project we were to complete. At this point we agreed to a specific set of tasks, and developed our spec. What we looked over at this point was the large importance of the regulations and standards that our testing methods had to follow. To complete our design we had to obtain and read several standards for filter testing. This resulted in the need for a removable contamination injection system that was much more complicated than we had originally expected (costing us a few weeks of time in discussion). I think it is important to ask the company in the beginning what standards must be followed. While doing this also make sure that the sponsor understands these documents. In our case neither the students nor the sponsor had any idea what they were getting into. This led to a delay in the test rig modification while both parties became up to date. The second thing that I have discovered is that during every meeting/teleconference you must document all of the action items and topics discussed. If time allows at the end of the meeting it is a good idea to confirm all of the action items and any discussions that brought up confusion. In our case we were meeting with several engineers who didn’t always agree. This led to the group understanding our task in one way. During the next meeting we would then find out that the sponsor wanted it the opposite way. So basically document all decisions, and present updated information every week (such as a design schematic). As I mentioned above when you bring several engineers together, you get a large number of ideas. During our meetings our sponsors would argue among themselves for long periods of time. This set our meetings behind and cost us valuable time. I think it is necessary to try and control the pace of the meeting and organize your presentation to your advantage. Based on our experience, I would recommend that the most important topic is mentioned first. You would be amazed at the time that can be spent discussing a simple concept when we had much more important things to discuss.